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Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Cupcakes (Elegant & Creamy Dessert Recipe))

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Cupcakes

A luxurious mash‑up of silky vanilla bean cheesecake and the crackling caramel top of crème brûlée — in individual cupcake form. Perfect for comfort, elegance and sharing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French‑inspired
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or digestive biscuits, finely crushed)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
  • 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped (or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 pinch salt
Topping
  • 12 teaspoons super‑fine granulated sugar (for brûlée topping, about 1 tsp per cupcake)

Equipment

  • 12‑cup muffin tin
  • cupcake liners
  • kitchen torch (or oven broiler)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 275 °F (135 °C). Line a 12‑cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Make the crust: In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp sugar and melted butter until thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the liners and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Scrape in the vanilla bean seeds (or stir in vanilla bean paste) and mix to combine.
  4. Add the egg and then the egg yolks, beating just until incorporated. Stir in the sour cream and salt until smooth. Do not over‑mix.
  5. Pour the filling into the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 22‑25 minutes or until the centers are just set (they might still jiggle very slightly in the middle).
  6. Remove the tin and allow cupcakes to cool completely in the tin, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight for best texture).
  7. Just before serving: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon superfine sugar on top of each chilled cupcake. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it becomes a golden, crisp crust. Alternatively, place under a hot oven broiler, watching closely, until the sugar caramelizes.
  8. Let the caramelized sugar sit for 1‑2 minutes to harden, then serve immediately. Enjoy that crack and the creamy vanilla bean cheesecake beneath!

Notes

You can swap the graham cracker crust for crushed digestive biscuits (common in Europe) or ginger snaps for a spicy twist. Freeze un‑brûléed cupcakes (without sugar topping) up to two months, thaw in the fridge overnight, then sprinkle sugar and torch just before serving.